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July 01, 2008
Performing with the Ynysowen Male Choir in Aberfan
What a moving experience we had in Aberfan. We were very honored to perform with the Ynysowen Male Choir in a memorial concert honoring the children whose lives were lost in a horrible landslide accident caused by a spoil heap from the mines. This landslide headed straight for the school where 116 children and 28 adults lost their lives. The most tragic part of the story is that an entire generation in the village of Aberfan was lost.
Again, our hosts outdid themselves hosting a dinner prior to the concert. The performance couldn't have gone better and ended with the singing of both the National Anthems from the United States and Wales. Many thanks to the Onllwyn Choir for their help in teaching us their national anthem.
After the concert, we all toured the memorial gardens located on the site of the school that was destroyed. In fact, the walls that surrounded the gardens and some of the concrete are the actual walls and floors of the school. Following some time in the gardens, we went to the cemetery and viewed the memorials of the children whose lives were lost. It was an overwhelming experience, but the children felt that it was very important to go to the cemetery and felt like it was the missing piece in the puzzle of Aberfan and made this concert even more special.
Posted by webmaster at July 1, 2008 11:18 PM